"We requested the same thing from each of the parties: a full 30 minutes with their leaders, uninterrupted in a venue of their choice, but away from the campaign trail, away from the rallies and the whistle-stops and the media buses.

"The interviews would be wide-ranging. No topic was off limits, and, as with every one we do, no questions were provided beforehand."

One question that was particularly tricky for each of the leaders: "​What is it about you, that you feel should make you a prime minister?" The answers are surprising.

Watch all the interviews below. The videos appear in the order the interviews originally aired on CBC's The National.